Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Lu Huaixu rented a small two-bedroom apartment.

While the complex wasn’t high-end, it was clean and tidy.

When I moved out, I specifically chose a time when my mother-in-law wasn’t home. My sister-in-law was sprawled across the sofa, her voice as snide and sarcastic as ever.

“Since you’ve chosen to be a layabout, why are you still acting so entitled? You want all the benefits without any of the grievances-there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world!”

I put on a look of shame and nodded in agreement.

“You’re right, I should learn from you. Your family was so worried about keeping it a secret that all three houses were put under your brother’s name before you got married, but looking at it now, they were overthinking it. An independent woman like you would never be a parasitic social climber, right?”

Leaving my sister-in-law behind with a frozen expression, I took my daughter’s hand and walked out.

Why had my mother-in-law been screaming for me to get out of that house?

Because before I married into the family, she had preemptively transferred all the real estate into Lu Huaixu’s name. In other words, those three houses were all Lu Huaixu’s pre-marital property; they had absolutely nothing to do with me.

And naturally, they had nothing to do with his sister either.

Since that was the case, I might as well stir up the sediment at the bottom of these seemingly calm waters.

My sister-in-law’s boyfriend was a low-life thug.

I held a glimmer of high hopes for them.

…

On the night we moved in, Lu Huaixu only stayed at the apartment for ten minutes before leaving in a hurry.

Qin Shuang had called, saying she’d dropped an earring in his office and asking if he could bring it to her.

Lu Huaixu told me the contents of the call quite openly, sounding rather helpless as he said, “She probably needs it urgently. Since there’s nothing important going on today anyway, I’ll make the trip for her.”

This kind of trick from Qin Shuang wasn’t unfamiliar to either of us. She had pulled it many times back when we were dating; at that time, Lu Huaixu had seen right through it and scoffed with disdain.

Now, I simply nodded and said:

“Then go quickly. She must need that earring for some important event. Oh, if it gets too late, just sleep at your mother’s place. It’s closer to the art gallery, so it’ll save you the hassle of commuting back and forth.”

Lu Huaixu looked a bit surprised.

“It’s our first day moving in, and you don’t need me to sleep here?”

I looked at him with a docile smile.

“Work comes first.”

He froze for two seconds, a flash of irritation crossing his face, and said gruffly:

“Fine, have it your way.”

After Lu Huaixu left, I finished tidying the rooms and fed my daughter. Then, I took out a small cake I’d bought at the complex entrance earlier that day, inserted a candle, and lit it.

“Li Zhining, happy birthday.”

I whispered the words softly and blew out the candle in one breath.

Then, I sat down at the desk.

And opened my book.